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Longtime Ocala nurseryman Bob Wines Sr. dead at 95

Published: Friday, May 24, 2013 at 4:58 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 24, 2013 at 4:58 p.m.

Robert Wines stood Friday in front of his parent's home and admired the camellias his father planted more than 60 years ago. Wines, 70, is still amazed at the breadth of his father's interests.

Bob Wines Sr. died Wednesday at Sylvia's Hospice House in Ocala. He was 95.

The senior Wines scoured the country for variations of camellias before he started a nursery on 38th Avenue in Ocala in 1953, now called Bob Wines Camellia Gardens. In 1950, he had opened Bob Wines Marine Service on South Pine Avenue. He sold that business 20 years later.

The younger Wines said his father began that business out of his love for fishing and boating, the same way he started the nursery. He said his father saw a niche for the business and combined his hobby and business sense to a profitable end.

He was not a man to stand still, his son said.

“When you look back over everything he did, it was amazing,” Wines said. “He was my captain all his life. He guided me and directed me with his great wisdom and knowledge.”

Bob Wines Sr. was born Jan. 1, 1918, in Dublin, Ga., to Allen and Ida Wines, who owned and operated a lumber company. In 1921, he and his family moved to Sumter County, where he attended grade school and graduated from Wildwood High School in 1937. Ten years later, he became one of the founders of the Ocala Boat Club, which still exists today.

Wines was a gifted businessman and showman. To market his Carter Craft boats and promote the manufacture's claim that the vessels were nearly unsinkable, in 1961 he had one of his boats on Lake Weir driven headlong into a floating steel drum in front of a crowd of people. When the water calmed, a newspaper article about the event reported, the drum was the worse for wear but the boat, with its patented Royalite coating, was upright and floating.

Wines also used his Ocala connections to introduce Carter Craft boats and Johnson outboard motors to Silver Springs during the park's water shows. At the time, he was the only Johnson distributor in the area.

About that time, Wines also began cultivating azaleas and camellias, growing them on a commercial scale. He fished and hunted in many states and it was during those trips, his son said, that he collected variations of the plants and expanded his collection. In about 1948, he bought three acres of what is now Bob Wines Camellia Gardens. He built the house he and his wife would live in for the next 60 years at the site and slowly bought more land to accommodate the growing nursery .

So successful were his camellias and azaleas that he sold most of the collection to the Norris Cattle Company, which used them to landscape the Rainbow Springs and Homosassa Springs parks

Bob Wines Jr. said his father's goal was to retire early and enjoy his interests full-time, which was the motivation to sell his marine business in his early 50s. But he wasn't one to sit idle, and went on more hunting and fishing expeditions after retiring. His wife of 74 years, Adean, was a school teacher, and the couple often traveled together during summers.

Wines also pursued another interest: gemstones. He taught himself to cut the stones, but enrolled in classes to learn how to set them and work with metal to make jewelry. He gave some pieces away and sold some at craft shows.

Wines was described as congenial and outgoing. Even at 95, he continued to visit the nursery, which his son and Laurie Williams operate, to see how things were going.

“He was wonderful. He was very kind,” Williams said.

Four weeks ago, Wines was still healthy enough to mow his own lawn. When he became tired and wanted only to sleep, his family took him to the hospital and from there was care for by Hospice of Marion County. Bob Wines Jr. son said his father died of natural causes Wednesday morning. One of the last things he told his father was that he loved him.

Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, June, 1 at the Community Presbyterian Church on U.S. 441 in McIntosh. Interment will be held 11 a.m. Monday, June 3, at the Adamsville Cemetery in Coleman.

<p>Robert Wines stood Friday in front of his parent's home and admired the camellias his father planted more than 60 years ago. Wines, 70, is still amazed at the breadth of his father's interests.</p><p>Bob Wines Sr. died Wednesday at Sylvia's Hospice House in Ocala. He was 95.</p><p>The senior Wines scoured the country for variations of camellias before he started a nursery on 38th Avenue in Ocala in 1953, now called Bob Wines Camellia Gardens. In 1950, he had opened Bob Wines Marine Service on South Pine Avenue. He sold that business 20 years later.</p><p>The younger Wines said his father began that business out of his love for fishing and boating, the same way he started the nursery. He said his father saw a niche for the business and combined his hobby and business sense to a profitable end.</p><p>He was not a man to stand still, his son said.</p><p>“When you look back over everything he did, it was amazing,” Wines said. “He was my captain all his life. He guided me and directed me with his great wisdom and knowledge.”</p><p>Bob Wines Sr. was born Jan. 1, 1918, in Dublin, Ga., to Allen and Ida Wines, who owned and operated a lumber company. In 1921, he and his family moved to Sumter County, where he attended grade school and graduated from Wildwood High School in 1937. Ten years later, he became one of the founders of the Ocala Boat Club, which still exists today.</p><p>Wines was a gifted businessman and showman. To market his Carter Craft boats and promote the manufacture's claim that the vessels were nearly unsinkable, in 1961 he had one of his boats on Lake Weir driven headlong into a floating steel drum in front of a crowd of people. When the water calmed, a newspaper article about the event reported, the drum was the worse for wear but the boat, with its patented Royalite coating, was upright and floating.</p><p>Wines also used his Ocala connections to introduce Carter Craft boats and Johnson outboard motors to Silver Springs during the park's water shows. At the time, he was the only Johnson distributor in the area.</p><p>About that time, Wines also began cultivating azaleas and camellias, growing them on a commercial scale. He fished and hunted in many states and it was during those trips, his son said, that he collected variations of the plants and expanded his collection. In about 1948, he bought three acres of what is now Bob Wines Camellia Gardens. He built the house he and his wife would live in for the next 60 years at the site and slowly bought more land to accommodate the growing nursery .</p><p>So successful were his camellias and azaleas that he sold most of the collection to the Norris Cattle Company, which used them to landscape the Rainbow Springs and Homosassa Springs parks</p><p>Bob Wines Jr. said his father's goal was to retire early and enjoy his interests full-time, which was the motivation to sell his marine business in his early 50s. But he wasn't one to sit idle, and went on more hunting and fishing expeditions after retiring. His wife of 74 years, Adean, was a school teacher, and the couple often traveled together during summers.</p><p>Wines also pursued another interest: gemstones. He taught himself to cut the stones, but enrolled in classes to learn how to set them and work with metal to make jewelry. He gave some pieces away and sold some at craft shows.</p><p>Wines was described as congenial and outgoing. Even at 95, he continued to visit the nursery, which his son and Laurie Williams operate, to see how things were going.</p><p>“He was wonderful. He was very kind,” Williams said.</p><p>Four weeks ago, Wines was still healthy enough to mow his own lawn. When he became tired and wanted only to sleep, his family took him to the hospital and from there was care for by Hospice of Marion County. Bob Wines Jr. son said his father died of natural causes Wednesday morning. One of the last things he told his father was that he loved him.</p><p>“He was my friend as well has my father,” he said.</p><p>Bob Wines Sr. is survived by his wife and son, daughter-in-law Mary Wines, granddaughters Bobby Lynn Wines and Maryanne Wines-Nowlan and great-granddaughter Harper Rae Nowlan, all of Ocala.</p><p>Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, June, 1 at the Community Presbyterian Church on U.S. 441 in McIntosh. Interment will be held 11 a.m. Monday, June 3, at the Adamsville Cemetery in Coleman.</p><p>Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services is in charge of arrangements.</p><p><i>Contact Fred Hiers at 352-867-4157 or fred.hiers@starbanner.com.</i></p>